The present invention relates to apparatus for winding coils on magnetic ring structures and, more particularly, to an apparatus for winding coils on large diameter magnetic ring structures.
Large diameter magnetic ring structures are used as components in large stators, armatures and magnetic field generators, such as is employed in CAT scanners and similar magnetic imaging equipment. The ring includes slots formed radially therein wherein the slots are wound with coils of wires. The coil winding pattern, that is, the direction of winding and the number of slots included in each coil, is determined by the intended function of the ring structure.
In prior art coil winding operations, wire is first wound into coils of the proper diameter and is then inserted by hand into designated slots in the ring. With this winding technique, the coils must be made relatively large, that is, with excess wire, in order for them to be inserted into the slots. However, the excess wire is unnecessary for proper magnetic operation of the ring structure, and the excess wire further adds to the weight and expense of the completed ring structure.
In order to reduce the amount of wire wound in slots of prior art small diameter ring structures, various apparatus have been proposed for directly winding the wire into the slots, and thereby reduce the requirement that excess wire be provided for the coils. However, such prior art devices are generally incorporated in a winding spindle of a relatively small size for positioning within a small magnetic ring structure, such as a motor stator. Such winding spindles cannot be conveniently incorporated in a winding operation for large diameter magnetic ring structures wherein the ring structures have diameters spanning many feet. The winding parameters for any winding apparatus used on a large diameter ring structure will differ significantly from the requirements for winding smaller ring structures such as small stators. For example, large diameter ring structures include a substantially greater number of slots for receiving the coil wire such that a winding device for winding the coils must be capable of traversing a large circumferential distance while also providing precisely controlled smaller movements at a high speed for winding the wire into the slots to form coils.